Big Time Rush, Making It Big Time
by Lucy Ann Brooks
Summary: This is the sequel to Behind The Scenes. That's on bbop11rocks' page, so read that first. NO SLASHES! :D
1. Moving and Record Deals

**Hey, everyone!**

**Okay, this is the sequel to Big Time Rush, Behind The Scenes!**

**If you didn't read that yet, go to bbop11rocks' page to see that :)**

**Okay, the songs I was listening to when I was writing this were: Trippin' It Up ~ Ashlyn Huff & Fingerprints ~ Katy Perry **

**There will be a playlist for this story too, so that'll be posted when the story is over :)  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Big Time Rush, but I DO own Triple Threat :D

* * *

**POV: Destinee Knight

_After Carlos and I finished the last words to our duet, the, surprisingly huge, audience cheered, clapped, whistled, etc. _

_"Thank you so much!" James and Stacie shouted together._

_"We love you all!" Logan and Melanie added. _

_You guys are the best, goodnight!" Kendall, Carlos, and I finished and ran backstage_

_"We did it! Our first concert was great!" Logan picked Melanie up and spun her around._

_"Didn't know you were that strong, Logan," James teased._

_"I'm strong," Logan protested._

_Everyone laughed._

_"I'm gonna miss this," Seth came up to me and Matt. "You two did awesome!"_

_"Thanks," we smiled._

_"Melanie and Stacie were awesome too!" Veronica followed close behind him._

_"Everyone did incredible," I spoke up, my voice was a little scratchy._

_"The feeling was unbelievable," Melanie smiled._

_"Well, the first concert is now behind us," I said. "And our CDs are on the way."_

* * *

That was last month. Now Triple Threat and Big Time Rush have been recording nonstop to get the albums out as soon as possible.

* * *

"Destinee," James called my name to get my attention.

I looked up from my feet, "Sorry, what?"

"You're gonna fall or run into someone if you keep staring at your shoes. We're jogging, remember?"

"Oh yea," I laughed, "I definitely don't want to fall."

"How crazy is it that we had that concert only a month ago?"

"Very. That and the note we got, and Kendall being gone the next day," I frowned.

It's all my fault he decided to leave. I shouldn't have acted the way I did. Telling him I didn't love him was a little overboard.

"I can't believe he still hasn't shown up," James sighed deeply. "We've had to skip his parts in the songs, and we can't learn our choreography, and it's all because he left."

"James, calm down, he just needed to think things through, he'll be back."

We stopped running for a while and James collapsed in the grass.

I leaned against a tree.

"You said that 3 weeks ago," he looked up at the sunny California sky.

"I know, but he _will _come back," I reassured him.

"I hope you're right," he continued to look at the sky.

"Yea," I whispered to myself, "I hope so too."

* * *

POV: Carlos Garcia

When Destinee and James came back to 2J, I grabbed Destinee by her wrists, "Guess what?"

"I dunno, what?" she seemed a little scared.

"You've been saying that you wanna meet my dad, right?"

Yea, where are you going with this?" she raised her eyebrow.

"You get to meet him today," I smiled.

"Carlos, that's great!" she hugged me.

"When is Officer Garcia coming?" Katie came out of her room.

"Today," I repeated.

"Okay," she went back into her room.

Destinee stared at me, "Is she okay?"

Katie came back out with a small suitcase, "I'm gonna go move in with Destinee in 5H."

"Sure, Katie, since Veronica, Natalie, and mom have moved out, we can have another person live there."

"Where'd they go?" Logan, who was sitting on the couch, joined our conversation.

"Back to Texas. Mom, dad, Seth, Veronica, and Natalie just decided they were homesick," Dest shrugged.

"So I can move in?" Katie beamed.

"Sure," Dest smiled. "So when is you dad coming?" she looked back at me.

There was a knock on the door, "I'm guessing that's him," I walked to the door and opened it.

It was my dad, "Carlos!"

"Hey, dad!" I hugged him.

Destinee smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Officer Garcia," she held out her hand to him.

He shook her hand and smiled, "You are as pretty as Carlos said you were."

"Thank you," she smiled.

"Well, I gotta go to the library," Logan left immediately.

"I'll go with you," James ran after him.

"I'm gonna go unpack in 5H," Katie smiled.

Destinee handed her the key, and she left.

"Where's Kendall?" dad asked.

"Oh, he went to Chicago. He said he wanted to clear his head and think things through," I answered.

"Can I get you anything, Officer Garcia?" Destinee smiled.

"Um, a water bottle?" he shrugged.

She nodded, and walked away.

"I'm not sure she's the right girl for you," he whispered to me.

"She's a nice, sweet, and funny girl, dad, I love her."

"I'm just not sure."

Destinee hit the wall on accident, and looked at us, "Hehe, this way," she pointed in the other direction and walked to the kitchen.

"On second thought, I like her," dad patted me on the back.

I laughed, "I knew you would, dad."

* * *

POV: Destinee Knight

After about an hour talking to Carlos and his dad, I had to leave for rehearsal.

"You're late, Knight," Gustavo met me in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, Gustavo," I sneezed.

"You feeling okay, Destinee?" Kelly felt my forehead.

"Yea," I nodded, "I'm sure it's just allergies."

"It better be," Gustavo threatened.

* * *

_"I couldn't let our first kiss be our last; I'm not gonna re-live the past."_ I sang and sneezed right afterward.

Gustavo cut the music, "You feeling okay, Dest?"

I shook my head.

"It's not just her that's feeling crappy," Marc coughed.

Justin and I sneezed in unison.

"Melanie's losing her voice too," Stacie pointed out.

Melanie only nodded.

"You guys have been working really hard," Kelly said sympathetically.

_"Well they need to work harder if they wanna get anywhere!_" Gustavo yelled.

"Just go home, you guys, get some rest, drink lots of fluids, and I hope you feel better soon," Kelly smiled.

Everyone took taxis home, accept for me. I just leaned against the building that is 'Rocque Records'.

"We just aren't appreciated, are we?" I shook my head and sneezed.

Someone came up next to me and offered me a tissue. "You look like you could use one," he smiled.

"Who're you?" I took the tissue from the strangers hand and blew my nose.

"My name is Hawk. I heard your music, and you're right, you and your band aren't appreciated by Gustavo enough."

Thank you for agreeing," I walked away from him and threw the tissue away in the nearest trash can.

"I have my own record company, and I'd be most honored if you and your band would record with me instead."

"Really?" I looked back at Rocque Records.

He nodded.

I took my phone out of my pocket and called Stacie. "Get everyone that's in Triple Threat to meet me at Hawk Records."

"Got it," she agreed. I could hear her tell the taxi driver to stop the car.

* * *

"This studio is incredible!" Matt looked around.

"Yea, no kidding," Justin and Sean noticed an electric guitar rack.

"Feel free to try them out," Hawk insisted.

They didn't hesitate to pick one up, grab a guitar pick, plug the guitars into amplifiers and start playing.

"That sounds amazing!" my jaw dropped. "Much better than the guitars we use at Rocque Records."

"So you are all willing to sign with me?"

I looked back at everyone, and they nodded constantly.

I looked back at hawk, "You've got yourself a deal."

* * *

"_I've shut you out forever; You were wasting my time. We were never meant to be together-" _

_"Brillient!" _Hawk interrupted us.

"We weren't done," Stacie looked confused.

"I know, but I can tell that you are all tired, so you should go home and rest. I want you to come back when you _know_ you are all feeling better."

"Thank you," we all said in unison and left.

* * *

"Why're you all back so early?" Katie was sitting on the couch in 5H.

"We got the rest of the day off," I shrugged.

"Cool!" she smiled.

I sat next to her.

"Destinee?"

"Yes?"

"When do you think Kendall will come back?" she looked up at me with those sad brown eyes. I could tell she really missed him, but not as much as I miss him.

"Um, I don't know, Katie. He'll come back when he's ready to come back."

"I miss him. A lot," she hugged me.

"Yea," I hugged her, "I miss him too."

* * *

**(Gasps) lol**

**Hey, what's up you guys?**

**I really wanna know what y'all thought of the chapter. **

**Please review!  
**


	2. Chicago and Chicken Nuggets

**HEYO! :D**

**I know, I haven't been on here in FOREVER!**

**I promise, I'll try to be on more, but school is so. . .blahhh :P**

**This chapter is NOt mine, it's bbop11rocks' so check out her stories. **

**And if you didn't read Big Time Rush, Behind The Scenes, go to her page and READ IT!  
**

**

* * *

**

**Pov: Kendall Knight**

I was happy, cuz when I got to the airport, I had just enough time to get a ticket to get to Chicago and to get on the plane before it took off. I'm pretty sure there was a little bit of luck involved, but I didn't care.

I was temporarily leaving Destinee, and all my problems behind me.

Remembering that Big Time Rush had become a big hit after the concert, I knew people would be looking for me. I pulled my hood over my head, covering my eyes and kept my face solemn. They'd be looking for my golden frock of hair and over-confidence. I wasn't about to give them what they wanted.

It was just after 5 in the morning when I finally got to Chicago, or at least as close as I could get to it. There wasn't an airport in the city, so I'd have to walk for a while before I could get there. I was tired, hungry, heartbroken, and hopeless. Great way to start my recovery.

Navy Pier was nice. It was open and have a cool breeze always blowing through. I loved the ferris wheel and the little shops along the Lake Michigan coast.

The Sears Tower was gigantic. LA didn't have anything that big. The view from the top was amazing. I could almost see all the way across the lake. Everywhere I went, I felt small. The buildings towered over me, even the restaurants. People rushing to or from work, the traffic, and the excitement made this city seem just as alive as Los Angeles. The people passing me by on the streets were dressed in suits, work dresses, nice shoes, in the women's case, high heels. Their eyes were glued to either their phones or the sidewalk. To them, I was only a lost, misunderstood teenager with a guitar, and they're completely right.

I wandered around from South side to North side, Wrigleyville and the main city were my home. I liked Wrigleyville best, because it was pretty old-fashioned, and had that cozy feel, like everyone knew each other.

Every now and then, I'd take out my picture of Destinee. I'd stare at it for a while, then carefully put her picture in my wallet. Sometimes, I wanted to stab her, wanted to hurt her for what she did to me. Otherwise, I wanted to hold her, feel her warmth under my skin, to know she'd always be there. But I had yet to feel something normal, like, 'Oh, hey, it's my cousin.' It seems like that will never come.

After Destinee's picture, I'd pull out one of Katie. Sometimes, I'd catch a single tear sliding down my cheek. I loved my little sister to bits, I really did. I would do _anything_ to make her happy. Hell, I'd _di_e to make sure she was okay. I wanted to see her, I needed to. I would've brought her with me, but that would take her away from mom, her friends, and everyone she loved. And more than likely she would be babbling her mouth off about Destinee.

I settled down outside of Wrigley Park and took out my guitar. I strummed a few cords to "This Is Our Someday" and got a few bucks in my guitar case. Singing was a constant debate in my mind ; I wanted to, but my voice might've given me away. Soon, I wasn't playing a few cords. I was playing every single part of the song. I was rocking it.

* * *

**POV: Lee Morgans**

God, I felt horrible.

Destinee is Carlos'. Not Kendall's. Not mine. I had to get that clear in my mind.

Kendall's absence was _everywhere_. The guys that were still here almost never talked, and they just dragged around everywhere. They didn't do anything that would get them in trouble, only recorded songs for their album, and did all the necessary things to stay alive. It was like the spirit of the band had left with Kendall.

Carlos only seemed to be somewhat excited when Destinee was around.

For Logan, only when Melanie Was around or there was some education needed.

James...James was _never_ happy. It's like he died inside. I saw him jogging a few weeks later. He was going at a much slower pace than he had before Kendall left. We had lost our hard feelings for each other and we're close to friends now.

"Hey, James!" I sped up my pace a bit so I could catch up to him. "What's up?"

He looked at me, then back to the sidewalk. His face was wet, but I wasn't sure it was from sweat. "Hey, what's wrong?" I stopped and grabbed his shoulder, turning him around.

"I'm fine," he hissed and sprinted away.

* * *

**POV: James Diamond **

I ran and ran, not really caring where I went or who saw me. Almost being caught by Lee was enough. I couldn't risk anyone else I knew seeing me. Eventually, I reached an alley and collapsed in it. I was breathing heavily and couldn't catch my breath for a while.

Lee ran in a few seconds later. I was surprised he could keep up with me. "What's wrong?" he asked me again.

He wouldn't lay off, "I'm-"

"You're _not_ fine." I sighed, "I just miss Kendall."

He sat down next to me and patted my shoulder. "He's gonna come back. You know he is."

"I know. I'm just not sure how much longer I can stand this."

* * *

Back at 2J, I took a shower and then collapsed on my bed, ready for a nap.

Mrs. Knight came in. "James, lunch is ready."

"Not hungry," I said, even though I was starving.

"You sure? I made dinosaur shaped chicken. I know they're you're favorite."

"Not hungry," I repeated and rolled over so my back was to her.

I felt her sit in my bed, "Honey, I miss Kendall too, but you have to eat."

Reluctantly, I got up and went to go eat.

Carlos was sitting at the table, looking miserable while he drowned his chicken in barbecue sauce. He looked up when I sat down. "Hey."

"Hey."

He asked me what was wrong.

"I'm missing Kendall."

"Me too. I think it's my fault for some reason. I mean, the only reason he left was to get away from Destinee and forget everything that happened." "True, but-" "Hey! You're not supposed to agree with me!"

"It's more my fault than yours."

"How so?"

"It's my fault Kendall got so hurt when he found out Jo cheated. He only turned to Destinee because she was the only other person he really loved."

"Well what're ya gonna do about it? He's gone now."

"I'm gonna go find him." I stood up and grabbed my chicken nuggets and ran into my room. I grabbed a bunch of stuff and threw it in a backpack. Clothes, hygiene stuff, and at least $600 in secretly saved cash. Ever since 6th grade, I saved a third of *any* pay he k I got from sidewalk shoveling, to album recording. It was for emergency use only, and this was an emergency. I had to get to one of my best friends.

* * *

I combed through Chicago, checking every alley, corner, or place he could hide. I couldn't find him. Giving up, I settled down in a hotel, using even more of my emergency money. Where did Kendall stay? And more importantly, when was the last time he took a bath?

Even though I tried desperately to sleep, it never came.

What if I never find him? I'll check everywhere I can tomorrow. Kendall has to be somewhere near here.

* * *

**POV: Kendall Knight**

I fell against the side of the ballpark building. It was comfy, but it a place to sleep.

Everyday, I was playing songs some my guitar. I needed all the spare cash I could get.

Finally, I had gotten to the point that my love for Destinee had been long gone. But my need for Katie grew bigger and bigger. I couldn't call her though. My phone had died 3 weeks ago.

"_I promised I would be there. I swear I'm on my way. I know you may not hear me, but that's the price I'll pay_."

I strummed the cords that felt right.

"_I don't wanna waste another moment. I don't wanna pay for things unspoken. I just wanna race with arms wide open. Take a shot in the dark to be where you are._" Soon, I had the whole song figured out.

Eventually, I got bored with it and wrote a new song called "Streets of Chicago". It was about letting go of Destinee, but it wasn't even close to being finished yet.

Someone dropped $5 in my empty guitar case, but didn't walk away.

I looked up.

It was James.


	3. Hair Dye and Hang Outs

**Hello :) **

**Soooooo sorry for not posting anything recently xP **

**I'm really trying to, but I never have the time. . .**

**I'll try harder from now on :)**

* * *

**POV: Destinee Knight**

It's been a few days since James left.

Everyone's getting better. . .health wise, anyway.

Marc's cough is gone, Justin and I can talk without sneezing every other sentence, and Melanie has her voice back. But otherwise, everything is just the same, sad and depressing, and even more now that James left to find Kendall. He's been gone a few days. I'm really worried about both of them.

Oh, and Triple Threat is signed back with Rocque Records. Stacie and I overheard Hawk and his assistant talking about the band and how takin us would "destroy Rocque Records". Yea, he's not good at keeping things a secret...

Today was a typical Saturday. All I did was go to 2J with Melanie and we hung out with Carlos and Logan.

Carlos smiles even _less_ than when only Kendall was gone. I guess having James leave made it harder for him. He continues to think it's his fault Kendall left when it's really more mine than anyone else's.

I shouldn't have told him I didn't love him. I regret it so much. I really miss him. I hope James finds him and they come back home soon.

"Hey, Des," Logan looked at me from the kitchen. Des was his _new_ nickname for me since he knew calling me Dest reminded me too much of Kendall. He was the first to start calling me Dest.

"Yea?" I looked up at Logan.

"You okay? You look even more distracted than usual."

"That's saying something," Melanie nodded.

"Oh shut it, Mel," I stuck my tongue out at her.

"To think _you're_ the older sister. You're so immature sometimes."

"Mm hm sure I am," I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to Carlos. "You've been pretty quiet."

"So?" he shrugged.

"Just saying," I said, putting my hands in front of me defensively. "You know you can tell us if something's up."

He sighed, "I still feel like it's my fault that Kendall left."

"You know that's not true. You can't blame yourself for _his_ decision. Kendall chose to leave, not you. You couldn't have stopped him. No one could have. He left in the middle of the night, just like we did when we went to Texas."

"This is true," he nodded. "But I still feel like I caused him to make that choice."

"Carlos, if anyone made him choose to leave, it was me. I think I really hurt him when I said I don't love him. I didn't mean that I didn't care about him, just that I only see him as my second cousin," I ran my fingers through my hair. "This is just so frustrating."

"Your hair," Carlos examined my hair. "It's, like, faded. Enough to see the blonde."

"What?" I looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you gonna dye it red again? I thought it was your way of separating yourself from Kendall."

"Well I've separated myself too far from him. Now we're not even speaking to each other. I can't do this anymore."

"What are you saying?"

"Yea," Melanie spoke up, "What _are_ you saying?"

"I'm saying I want my cousin back, but it can never be like the Christmas' in Minnesota the whole family spent together."

"Des, we've all changed in our own way," Logan said, "But good always comes out of it, right?"

"What's so great about me being a blonde? It's just a different hair color. Nothing more," I waited for him to answer.

"Well, it's a new you," he pointed to my hair. "Now that you're blonde-"

"I look like an airhead, or in other terms, Veronica," I realized and stood up, "Screw it. Time to go get hair dye. Cmon, Carlos," I headed for the door.

"No no no no," Logan stopped me, "Let me finish. You look like your own person."

"No, I look like a feminine version of Kendall. Which I _don't_ want. I want to forget about him. He left to forget about everything that happened. I'm trying to find my own way to forget, okay, Logan?" I tried my hardest not to sound rude.

He nodded, "No, I get it," he moved out of my way.

I smiled at him, then looked at Carlos, "Will you come with me?"

He nodded, "Of course," I could see a small smile come to his face. He got up and we left.

* * *

"What color?" Carlos held up some boxes of hair dye.

I looked at him and laughed. "Hun, those aren't red. One's for blonde and the other is black dye."

He put them back, "then maybe you should find it..." he looked a little embarrased.

I kissed his cheek, "It's okay, I found it already," I showed him the box. "Oh, then let's play and get back."

* * *

"I have no idea how to dye your hair, Des," Melanie said as we walked into the bathroom.

"Aw cmon, sis," I gave her my puppydog face.

"Okay, I'll try, but you help me dye my hair too. It would be easier if mom were here," she took the box from me.

I sighed, "I know, but we're gonna have to make it through. We have to learn to live on our own."

She nodded, "You're right, but we're only 16."

"Veronica is 19 and won't live on her own. You wanna be like her?" I questioned.

"No," she shook her head. "I guess it's better to rely on each other than on mom and dad. They can't help us forever."

I smiled, "So, what do we do?"

She looked at the instructions. This is *not* gonna be easy...

* * *

When Melanie and I were done, we looked in the mirror. We looked like we always had.

"I love it, Mel, thanks for helping me," I hugged her.

"No problem, thanks for helping me with my hair too" she hugged me back.

Coming out of the bathroom, Carlos and Logan took a look at us, "Wow, you two look like you did when you first came here," Logan said.

"Yup," Carlos agreed. "As pretty as ever."

"Aww," Melanie and I smiled. "Thanks, you two," we said in unison.

Carlos got of the couch and met me halfway so we were by the kitchen counter. "You look like your old self again. How about you act like your old self? Hang out with everyone and smile once in a while?" he took my hands in his own.

"I do, but without Kendall and James, it's not like old times," I looked at my watch.

"I have to go..." I grabbed my bag.

"Why?" Melanie looked at me.

"Because I promised Lee that he and I could hang out today..." I looked at all of them. "Did I not mention that?" I raised an eyebrow. "Pretty sure I did..."

"Go ahead," Carlos insisted, "have fun," he smiled.

I kissed his cheek, "Thanks, hun," and with that, I left 2J and went next door.

"Lee?" I knocked.

He answered the door, "Oh hey, Des, what's up?" he smiled.

"Do you mind if we hang out for a while? I kinda wanted to get away from everyone else for a while."

He nodded, "Yeah, no problem, cmon in," he moved out of the doorway and let me come inside.

* * *

**Okay, I realize this is pretty short. . .but I couldn't think of much **

**Hopefully bbop11rocks' chapter will be more interesting than mine xD  
**


	4. Algebra and Home

**Hello hello hello :)**

**This is bbop11rocks' chapter. Enjoy!**

**

* * *

****POV: Lee Morgans**

"So, how've you been?" I asked, slinging my gym bag over my shoulder. I had to keep my eyes away from Destinee. I had to. There was no knowing what could happen if I made eye-contact with her and had all my insides melt all together. I would probably trip. And fall. And hurt myself pretty bad.

"Fine. I miss Kendall."

"Yeah, I do, too. It's so dead around here, James isn't staring into a mirror every twenty seconds and Carlos isn't destroying anything. It's weird."

Des kept looking at the concrete floor in the stairwell. "Do you think he'll come back?"

I stopped, a couple steps below her, and looked up. My grey eyes met her blue ones. "He will," I assured her. "The only question is when."

A small smile played at the corners of her lips. "You'd better not be lying to me." Her features quickly changed into a scowl. "Because if you are, I'll need to whack you upside the head."

"You asked me what I think." I stepped up so that our feet were on the same level, but I was still a good six inches taller than her. "And I think he'll come back."

"Thanks, Lee." She hugged me. Once she backed away again, she touched my stomach. "Jeez, you _do_ need to work out. Your abs are getting weak."

I sent her a threatening look.

"Don't hurt me!" Des ran down the stairs and out of sight.

I touched my stomach where her hand had been not too long ago.

She was right.

It was about time I worked out.

* * *

POV: Logan Mitchell

#1. 2x+4y=8. Solve for x and y.

Why couldn't I do this?

_I_ was the one who had given the problem to the teacher for homework pages. I was supposed to be smart. Why couldn't I do this?

_Okay, subtract 4y from both sides._

2x=8-4y.

Good.

Two Destinees equals eight years minus four Kendalls.

No. just numbers. This is just my algebra homework. This is easy.

_Divide both sides by two to get x alone._

X=4-2y.

Now solve for y.

Why did I have so many problems?

2(4-2y) +4y=8.

Distribute.

8-4y+4y=8.

I'm getting somewhere. I looked up at the clock. Five minutes have passed since I started. Normally, it would've taken me about four seconds. Now… five minutes.

_Combine like terms_.

8+0y=8.

Was that it?

The end is equal to the beginning?

#2. Now suppose that the equation in number one was in a right triangle. Using the Pythagorean Theorem, find x and y if 2x and 4y are the legs and the hypotenuse equals 8.

Why did my life have so many complications?

X equals four times the square root of 2 plus 2y.

Solve for y.

What I really needed to do is to solve for why Kendall wasn't coming back and why James hasn't been calling.

* * *

POV: James Diamond

Kendall barely looked up at me. He kept strumming his guitar like there was no tomorrow, or yesterday, or today. Frankly, if the world ended that second and it was 2012, this guy wouldn't care. He just sat in the cold sunlight by the water and played his guitar. Nothing was going to disturb him.

It was pretty dead around Wrigleyville this time of year. The season was over and not many people were around at all. I was surprised that he was living off of just a few dollars a day.

I crouched down and looked at Kendall. He kept up his guitar-playing. It was like he didn't even know I was there. I tried taking out my money from his guitar case. He didn't do anything. I threw the bill back and fall to my knees instead of the balls of my feet.

"Kendall."

His jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything.

"Kendall, please."

After just staring at him for a few moments, I held my head into my knees, like the tornado position, and just cried. Kendall was lost. He really was gone.

"Kendall, please, just _do_ something! I came all the way from LA just to find you! I've been looking for you for two days! We all miss you and life just _sucks_ right now when you're gone! I finally found you, and now you can't even _look_ at me!" I sobbed. It felt good to let these things out, even though Kendall wasn't paying attention to me.

Eventually, I got control over my tears and just stayed there, crunched up in a ball, until I realized that Kendall had stopped playing. I looked up slowly, and Kendall was looking at me.

His face was sickeningly pale and thin. His hair was greasy and hanging off of his head in matted clumps. He was breaking out really bad and his eyes were bloodshot. Tear trails stained his cheeks through the layers of grime. His clothes looked stiff with sweat and dirt and his fingernails were bitten down to the nub. He didn't even look like the guy I used to know, but his eyes were exactly the same.

"Kendall," I whispered. "What happened to you?"

There was a slight rise and fall of his shoulders as he shrugged. His arms were still frozen around his guitar.

"Are you ready to come back home?"

He looked away from me and at the sidewalk.

"We all miss you, Kendall. _Please_ come back."

"I'll think about it."

Just hearing his voice raised my spirits. He hadn't completely forgotten how to live. "I'm leaving soon. In a few hours, actually. Are you going to come with me?"

Kendall looked up at me, ignorance written over his face.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a wad of cash and held it over his guitar case. Kendall held his hand out and stopped me from dropping the money. "No."

"Kendall, you're gonna die out here without-"

"You need to get home."

"I have enough. I'm not on the verge of death out here."

"James-"

"_Take it_." I used my other hand to pry his hand away from mine. Almost reluctantly, I put the money in the guitar case. "Use it to come home. And soon, please."

With that, I stood up and left. It was probably the hardest thing I'd ever done. I'd been raised not to leave my friends. Loyalty was high in my book. So once Kendall couldn't see me, I looked back at him from around a corner.

I caught a cab back to the O'Hare airport and bought a plane ticket back home for in a couple hours. A few people recognized me and I signed autographs and took pictures, but my full enthusiasm wasn't in it. Until Kendall got back, I don't know what I'd do.

* * *

POV: Kendall Knight

I fingered the new, crisp bills in my guitar case. It was easily over $200.

A cab to the airport would be $20. A plane ticket would barely be affordable. The only thing that mattered was if I actually wanted to go.

I wanted to see Katie. I _needed _to see her. But the first thing out of her mouth would probably tell me to go see Destinee.

Dest. I haven't thought about her in a while. I wonder how she's doing. I felt a tug on one of my heartstrings, most likely her begging me to come home. It wasn't that I didn't love her anymore – I still did – I felt nothing but brotherly love, now.

I took all the money from my guitar case, stuffed it in my pockets, and put my guitar in the case. Honestly, someone must've been sneaking crack into me because this was just _too_ crazy.

At the airport, I found the gate and sat down. I must've looked pretty bad, because no one recognized me. If they did, they knew better than to mess with me.

Someone sat down next to me on the plane. "You going back to LA?"

I sighed, "Yeah."

"Been here long?"

"Few weeks."

"You gonna miss it here?"

I looked out at the city disappearing behind us. "No."

* * *

When I got back to 2J, it was empty. I had gotten off the plane before James, and he wouldn't be back for a few minutes.

I put my bags down in the middle if the wood floor and admired the place. It had actually gotten a little dirty while I was gone.

The door opened and shut behind me.

"Kendall."

I turned around. "Dest."


	5. Pictures and Diaries

**POV: Destinee Knight ~**

I couldn't believe it. Kendall came home. He was standing in front of me.

"My god..." that was all that came out of my mouth. Not seeing him for this long, I hardly recognized him.

"What's the matter?" he asked, looking at me like he had done something he regretted.

"What the hell happened to you? You look awful."

"Chicago happened to me." he said frowning. "Going there unprepared was a dumb idea."

"I'm really glad to see you. I missed you like crazy. Everyone has," I said, looking him in his, now pale, green eyes.

"No hug?" he smiled slightly, opening his arms.

I shook my head and backed off, "You shower first. Then get settled in again?"

He nodded and laughed, then looked at me seriously,"Where's everyone anyway?" he asked, looking around.

"Katie's been with me, Stacie, Melanie, Sonia, and Jess in 5H for a while. She missed you too much. Carlos is hanging out with some guys at the hockey rink. Logan and Melanie have been spending time together."

"That leaves you alone..." he frowned.I shook my head, "No, I've spent more time

with Lee than anyone else. I feel like I can tell him anything, you know?" He nodded and smiled. "It is really good to see you again," I teared up a bit, but tried to hide it. _Why did you even leave us? Why did you make us suffer for so long, Ken? Did you think no one would notice you're gone?_

"I'll go take that shower now," he chuckled, slowly walking backwards.

"I'll make sure everyone knows to welcome you back."

"Got it. See you later, Dest."

"Later, Ken."

With that, he went into the bathroom.

I smiled to myself and went to Lee's apartment. I had to tell him the good news. As I was about to knock, he opened the door, stopping when he noticed me. "Hey, I was just gonna go see you."

"Kendall's back," I smiled big. "I just saw him in 2J."

He smiled, "That's great."

I nodded, looking into his gray eyes. It made me feel like I had butterflies in my stomach. It was weird...but it was nice at the same time.

_Stop it, Des, you have a boyfriend. Remember? Carlos Garcia? Hockey player? _I sighed quietly. _Right, focus on what you came to do._

"Yeah, I know. I told him to get settled." I leaned against the doorway, as did he.

"You wanna go celebrate?" he smiled.

"Sure," I smiled back and nodded. _Good, I need to take my mind off a few things._

"How about we go get some Starbucks?" he suggested kindly and stood up straight.

"Sounds great." I also stood up straight.

He offered me his hand and I took it. "Let's get going then."

* * *

"I'll go order," Lee said when we walked in. "What do you want?"

"Small caramel mocha?" I asked, smiling sweetly.

He nodded and let go of my hand, "You got it. How about you go find us some seats?"

"Alright," I found a couple of seats empty and made my way over to them.

Sitting down, I looked around and noticed a lot of people staring at me. _Is there something wrong?_ I thought.

A few guys made their way over to me. "You're Destinee Knight, right?"

"What gave me away?" I smiled.

"The red hair," one of them said smiling.

"And your pretty face," another commented.

I blushed, "That's sweet. What can I do for y'all?" I asked, my Texan accent thicker than usual.

"Can we get some pictures with you?" the first one asked holding up a camera.

"And maybe a few autographs?" the second smiled hopeful.

"Of course," I stood up and they gathered around me. One of them handed me a sharpie and I signed their shirts and their cameras.

Lee came over with our drinks. "What's going on?"

"Oh hey," I looked up at him and smiled.

"Pictures?" he assumed.

"Yup," I nodded and put my arm around the blonde.

"Need someone to hold the camera?" he chuckled and put our drinks on the table.

"Could you?" I smiled.

He looked back at me and half smiled. "Sure," he took the camera from the first guy. "Okay.." he backed up and looked at the camera screen. "Blondie," he pointed to the first guy, "Closer to Des."

He did as Lee said.

"Red head," he said to the second one, "You're out of the shot. Come in closer."

He obeyed.

"Perfect," Lee said, "hold still." he took a few shots, then gave them back the camera, "There you go," he smiled kindly.

"Thank you," they all said in unison and went back to their table.

"You've got some fans," he smiled and sat down.

I also sat down. "You'll have a ton of fans once you have your first concert. By the way, Gustavo wants us to record some new song together."

"What song?"

"Don't know yet. Some new love song he's working on. He thought our voices would be perfect for it," I shrugged.

"Why us?" he asked and stirred his coffee. I looked at the table, then at him. Even I didn't know the reason why.

"Maybe because we're a couple of smartasses," I smiled and laughed a bit.

"I'm not a smartass," he stuck his tongue out at me.

_Liar, you are, too, _I thought to myself. I nodded and grabbed my coffee, "Of course you're not," I took a sip.

He laughed, "Okay, maybe a little bit."

"The truth comes out." I took another sip and looked at him again.

His eyes locked with mine. I couldn't help but smile. Then it hit me _BOYFRIEND_ I looked at the table immediately. _You can't have those feelings towards Lee, Des, you just can't...stop it. You love Carlos and Carlos loves you. Don't forget it..._

* * *

**POV: Carlos Garcia**

Hockey: the one thing that could take my mind off of everything. It was doing a pretty good job of it. Things have gotten too crazy lately. I'm surprised how much everyone has changed. We rarely smile, unless someone tries to make us. I can't even remember the last time I laughed and felt happy about it. I hope this doesn't last much longer.

Someone broke my concentration. "Yo, Carlos," I noticed Des' friend, Marc coming my way.

"Hey, what's up, Marc?" I asked, putting on my helmet.

"Not much, my friends and I thought it'd be fun to play some hockey." he put down some equipment.

"Cool, you can verse me and my team. That way, it'll be a full game. How many people?" I tied my skates.

"Me, Justin, Sean, Matt, Jess, and Sonia. So 6."

"Cool, it's even," I smiled slightly, "Tell them to get ready." I put on my shoulder pads and knee pads.

He nodded, "Got it." he went over to them.

_Time to play some hockey, _I thought. _Don't know what I'd do without it..._

* * *

**POV: Kendall Knight**

After taking a shower and getting into fresh clothes, I realized something; It feels amazing to be home again. I sat on the couch, felt uncomfortable, and sprawled across it instead.

_It's great being back. _I looked around. I even climbed up the swirly slide. I laughed when I slide down and fell right on my ass. "Ow..." I stood up, still laughing.

The only thing that would be better would have to be seeing mom, Katie, Logan, and Carlos. 2J is so lonely right now. I know I'll see Carlos after he gets back from the rink. Mom's at work around this time. Logan and Katie must be in 5H.

_I know where I'm going_. I left 2J and headed up the stairs.

When I knocked on 5H's door, Stacie answered. "Hey, Kendall, it's so great to see you back!" she smiled.

"I'm sure you wanna see Katie?"

"Yeah, I do," I nodded.

"Well, she's either out with Jess and Camille, or in Des' room," she allowed me to come inside.

"Thanks," I came in and made my way to Dest's room.

Opening the door, I noticed Katie's stuff, but not Katie. "Guess she's with Jess and Camille. Wonder when she'll be back..."

Getting bored, I started to look around. I saw a notebook. Being curious, I picked it up and opened it.

_Dear Diary,_

_I know I haven't written for some time, but I have many new things to say-_

I closed it, but then opened it again. I couldn't help it, I read on.

_So much has happened since I've moved here:_

_-I'm dating Kendall's friend, Carlos_

_-Jo cheated on Kendall_

_-Kendall found out and broke up with her_

_-Triple Threat is recording an album_

_-I fell off of a horse when I went to Texas_

_-My horse didn't exactly like Kendall...long story short, he was in the hospital for a little bit_

_-Kendall and I...kissed_

_-I regret it_

I paused "I...regret it, too."

_-Camille, Jo, and I are very close friends now_

I read that line over and over again, "Since when are Dest and Jo friends?"

_Yes, Jo and I didn't get along very well at first, but we became friends once Gustavo forced us to write and sing a song together. It was either get along or get fired...it's obvious which option we went with. It was hard to let go of the fact she cheated on Kendall, but it worked out. She and I have been helping Logan with his dancing, and I helped Jo pratice her judo. Luckily, I didn't get hurt too bad._

I put the diary down. "That's all it says? Nothing about what happened while I was gone? How am I supposed to know what happened all this time?"

"You could try asking," I heard a voice from behind me.

I turned around nervously.

Dest was standing in the doorway, her arms crossed, a smirk on her face. I'd missed seeing her so much, I didn't care that she only looked at me this way because I had done something I shouldn't have.

"You're pissed?" I smiled slightly. _No duh, she's pissed. Stupid question._

She nodded, "Oh yeah." I could tell by the smirk that remained on her face that she was slightly sarcastic.

I laughed nervously and walked past her.

"It's good to know everything's back to normal," I heard her say as I walked out the door.

* * *

**Here's my chapter! :D**

**I finally forced myself to type it up...I'm such a lazy ass**

**Review please? I wanna know what you all think about the story! :)**


	6. Lucky Charms and Being Confused

**Hello! :D****  
Okay, I know, it's almost been a year since this story's been updated /:  
But, here it is! The latest chapter :)**

* * *

**POV: Kendall Knight**

"Kendall, wait," Destinee said as I was just out of her room.

I turned around and looked at her. I had missed her. She was family, after all, and I'd missed her like hell before she came to LA with more of our family. But after everything that we had been through, I was a little uneasy being around her again. She was still gorgeous, she was still clumsily cute, and she was still the greatest prize that a man could ever have. So that's why I had to protect her. "Yes?"

"Can we talk?"

"Yeah... I'm kinda hungry though. Can we get something to eat?"

"There's some cereal in the pantry. We haven't gone grocery shopping in a while."

I went to the kitchen and fixed us two bowls of Lucky Charms. My stomach growled; I hadn't eaten much of anything for over a month, and the airport didn't have anything very appetizing.

I went back to Dest's room and handed her a bowl before sitting down on her bed across from her. After I sat down, I could finally get a good look at her. Her hair was freshly dyed, but her usually bright blue eyes were dark and nearly lifeless. She didn't look like herself and it scared me a little bit. "Have you been okay, Dest?"

"I'm fine, Kendall. I've just been missing you."

I smiled and stared into my bowl of cereal. It didn't look appetizing, though. I needed to sort things out with Destinee, and I didn't think I could do anything else until I did.

"So you and Jo are friends now?" I asked.

"Yeah, I guess. Apparently she's a singer too and Gustavo had us record a song together. We decided that arguing all the time is pointless and we need to put it all behind us."

"I'm glad you two are friends, now."

"Sure." Destinee put down her bowl on the bedside table and looked me straight in the eyes. "Why did you run away, Kendall?"

I looked back at her. Both of our usually bright eyes were looking dead and the connection that had always been between us was nearly gone. "I had to get over you. I couldn't come back until I knew I was. And I couldn't just stay away from you because whenever I was at the Palmwoods all I could think about was you and Carlos, and I just had to get away from it."

"Yeah. Carlos." My cousin swallowed.

"What happened, Dest?"

"Ken, is it bad that I'm kinda starting to like someone else?"

My first reaction was to defend Carlos and get Destinee to change her mind about this new guy, but I remembered what it's like to be unhappy in a relationship. Back in Minnesota, I had seen a few girls, but none of them satisfied me like I needed them to (and I don't mean that sexually). Inside, I was torn between my cousin's happiness and my best friend's. I had never been in the situation before, and it took me off-guard. "Who's the guy?"

"Lee."

I sighed. Lee was a good guy, and he had a lot on Carlos. From what I had learned about him from talking to him, he liked to stay as far away from drama as he could. He could treat a girl right, and he would go however fast or slow the girl wanted to go. All he wanted was someone to fill him up and make him feel wanted.

Carlos had a short temper. He was explosive and emotional and had too much going on behind his eyes. He had already hurt Destinee too much for her comfort. I could read him like a book, and I knew when he was getting antsy in a relationship. Lee was looking like a better choice. But I couldn't say it out loud in case somebody else was listening.

"I don't know what to tell you, Dest. Lee's a great guy, and I can't blame you for liking him. But what about Carlos?"

Destined looked around on her bed, her eyes unfocused. "Lee makes me feel good inside whenever I'm with him. Carlos does it, too, but Lee does it better."

I reached out my hand and rested a finger on her temple. "Stop thinking with this." I moved my finger and held it right in front of her chest. "And start thinking with this."

Destinee took my bowl from me, put it next to her's on the bedside table and threw her arms around my neck. "Thank you, Kendall."

I was genuinely confused about what she was going to do. I just knew that I didn't directly tell her to go for one or the other. I was safe with Carlos.

"Um... Can I ask you for a favor?" she asked.

"Yes."

"I don't know when I'm going to need this, but will you be there when I break up with Carlos if I do? For support?"

"Of course." I hugged her back for a few seconds, and then released her.

* * *

**POV: Lee Morgans**

I was sitting on my bed strumming some chords on my acoustic when there was a knock on my apartment door. I rested my guitar in my bed and got up to answer the door.

"Des?"

Destinee was standing outside, arms wrapped around herself like she was cold, but it was a nice 65 degrees out, and her arms were covered enough to be comfortable. Her eyebrows were drawn together and her lips were a little pouty. But the brokenness in her eyes is what gave it away.

"What happened to you?" I pulled her inside and sat her on my couch. I made sure she was comfortable before I sat next to her.

She sat with her arms wrapped her arms around her stomach and hunched over. "I... I broke up with Carlos."

My first reaction was an internal celebration, but my sensitive side kicked in and I instantly needed to comfort her. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. What happened with you two?"

"I guess it was just getting old, but I'm confused about it, too." She sniffed and wiped her nose on her arm. "It's just that I've started having feelings for someone else, and I wouldn't be having those feelings if I really loved him."

I put my arms around her and pulled her closer to me. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. It'll all be okay in the end. And if it's not okay, it's not the end."

Destinee looked up at me with those big blue eyes and made me feel like I'd never be able to breathe again - but I was okay with it. She made me feel good inside whenever I was with her and I couldn't hold it back anymore.

"I really like you, Destinee."

She rested her head on my shoulder and snuggled into my chest. "Well, that makes two of us."

* * *

**I hope it was worth the wait :)**


	7. Breakups and Dates

**Hello Hello! :D I have finally written my chapter...so here it is :)**

* * *

**POV: Destinee Knight **

_Carlos and I sat on the couch as I tried to find the words I needed to say. I needed to break up with him, but it was so hard to do.  
When my brain said 'You love Carlos', my hearts said 'Bullshit, you love Lee'. I don't know how I dealt with this internal conflict for as long as I had. But I still knew that if I really _did_ love Carlos, I wouldn't even think I liked Lee. Damn, I hate this._

_"Carlos," I looked at my hands in my lap. "Um, I think we..."  
_

Damn it, just say it!_ I thought.  
_

_"...What?" Carlos waited for me to finish.  
_

_"I think we need to break up, Carlos," I said, trying not to sound harsh.  
_

_"Wh-what?" Carlos asked again._

_I felt like I had to look him in the eyes. He was looking back at me. His expression was a mix of anger and sadness.  
_

_I sighed deeply, "Carlos, you deserve better than me...all I've been is a bitch."  
_

_"That's not true!" his words made me jump.  
_

_"We've been through this conversation before," I said, standing up. "And that's why I'm so tired of knowing how...jealous and possessive you can get. I can't date someone that always assumes I'm going to cheat-"  
_

_"Des, just stop," Carlos stood up as well. "I love you-"  
_

_Somehow I knew he'd try that one..._

_"But I don't love you anymore," I said bluntly. I knew that would hurt him, that's why I said it.  
_

_I couldn't look him in the eyes after I said that. I went too far, but it was the only thing I could think of... Yeah, I panicked.  
_

_I ran out of 2J before either me or Carlos could process what had just happened.  
_

* * *

That same scene went on over and over in my head. I couldn't stop thinking about how hurt Carlos looked.

Lee listened to me as I poured my heart out. I bet he was waiting for me to shut the hell up. I mean, even _I_ was getting tired of hearing myself talk.

I sighed deeply, "I'm sorry, you don't need to listen to me talk and talk..." I stopped, "Man, I'm annoying..."

Lee chuckled lightly, "It's fine, sweetheart. If you need to keep talking, then talk. I'll still listen."

"I'll live," I smiled at him. "Thanks for actually listening to me."

"How could you tell I was listening?" he asked, nudging my shoulder.

"You didn't give me that blank expression guys normally have when they're off in their own worlds."

He nodded, "Ah, I see."

I laughed, "Seriously though, thank you." I gave him a quick peck on the lips.

He smiled, "If that's my reward, I'll listen to whatever you have to say."

I pushed him playfully and stood up. "Shut up," I laughed.

"Are you really gonna be okay?" he asked.

I paused for a second. I couldn't believe I actually had to think about it. "It will be hard trying to be friends with Carlos...if he even wants to be friends." I turned around to face Lee again. "And I don't know if I'll be able to go to 2J without the feeling of awkwardness..." I thought for a brief moment, "That probably made no sense..."

Lee glanced up at the ceiling, seeing if he could make sense of my rambling. He then looked back at me, "No, it didn't."

* * *

**POV: Logan Mitchell**

Carlos ranted to me and James about Des. James and I sat on the couch as Carlos paced back and forth, occasionally making certain gestures to help explain.

"...And then she just left!" he pointed toward the door.

I didn't know what to say about his problem.

"I'm sorry, buddy," James shrugged. "Breakups are hard."

Carlos pouted, "Bet you never heard a girl say she didn't love you anymore..."

I sighed, "I'm sure Des had a reason why she chose those words."

"Like, maybe she's fallen in love with someone else?" James suggested.

"Guys! You're supposed to make me feel _better, _not give me more reasons to feel like crap!" Carlos shook his head.

"Dude, there are other girls," I said. "Des isn't the only one."

"Easy for you to say," Carlos crossed his arms. "You got over her because her _twin sister_ was interested in you."

I stood, "Hey, this isn't about me and Melanie. You've gotta accept that Des broke up with you. I'm sorry she did, but it did."

"If you want, I could try and help you find someone else," James offered. "I'm sure I can find a girl that's perfect for you."

Carlos shook his head, "I don't think I'll find someone else."

"You will!" I said. "You've just gotta be patient."

James nodded, "Yeah, you didn't have a girlfriend until you dated Des."

"What's your point?" Carlos asked.

"You can find someone if you just open up to the fact that you're single again."

Carlos seemed hesitant, but he nodded. "Alright, I guess I'll have to move on."

_I hope James can find someone Carlos will like..._

* * *

**This was really short /: Sorry, I'm writing this at 1:30am and I'm extremely tired, so this is where I'm ending this chapter xD I completely apologize if it sucks. I'll probably reread this and think "What was I thinking?" Obviously, I'm too tired to think properly :D  
**


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